Jamoraz inns weren’t as extravagant as any of the other ones that had been provided as a courtesy to the Hero’s party. The wooden ceiling was lower but it couldn’t be denied that they were pristine. The rug under the bed was nothing intricate but felt homey. Muted peach sheets covered the bed in place of silk. It all felt familiar yet long forgotten to Kargon. He paced around the room silently while thinking about what Vofric and Sariel mentioned. The idea of a future with Aisha made him more nervous than he expected. It was frustrating that he couldn’t identify why he felt overwhelmed. They’d been together all their lives. This shouldn’t be all that different.
The flood of thoughts distracted him from hearing the light knock on the door. Clicks sounded as it was unlocked and Aisha stepped inside. She locked the door behind her immediately then looked at Kargon. Both had trouble finding words that each needed to say. Neither would admit they were glad the other took this so seriously.
“I thought you were going to sleep on it,” Aisha said softly.
“I can’t. Lots on my mind,” Kargon replied.
“So the bed’s not occupied.”
It was said with relief. Aisha’s shaky legs carried her to the mattress and she plopped down. With a smooth motion she twisted to lay her head on the pillow. While stretched out, she stared at the mundane ceiling. With Kargon in the room it felt like a race to see who would be brave first. Silly pride was pushing Aisha to succeed.
“Can we talk?”
Kargon nodded. “Yeah.” He walked towards a nearby chair to grab it but hesitated. “Can we talk like before?”
Aisha could feel warmth in her cheeks when she replied softly, “Yeah.”
The man slowly approached the bed and laid next to his childhood friend. Both tried to give the other space and left a clear divide between them as they stared upwards. The longer they remained there, the calmer they felt. Eventually both could relax enough to loosen their muscles. Aisha intentionally reached her right hand towards Kargon and bumped his left. He slowly slid a finger under her palm to lift it before taking her hand in his.
They’d held hands plenty of times but it always surprised Kargon how firm yet soft Aisha’s were. Callussed and trained with dozens of scars yet they remained smooth. It was probably all in Kargon’s head but he couldn’t help but be enamored by it. Aisha’s entire being made him react that way. Looking at her now was easier but he’d made note of every feature as she entered their room. Clothes thrown into a casual outfit demanded his attention. The seemingly calm expression on Aisha’s face was nothing short of beautiful. If she didn’t dare to look toward Kargon, that was okay. Her piercing eyes would see right through him.
Aisha was fully aware that she was being admired. A redness overtook her face but she didn’t dare turn in fear that Kargon would look away. The roughness of his hands was different than before. Deep scars were scattered all over his body and could never be healed again. Yet he wore them with a smile that sent a shock through her heart. Fiery red hair was as ridiculous as all the Neves children always said. There was no denying it yet Aisha only remembered it as a feature of people she cared for. Seeing it whenever looking at Kargon made her feelings grow.
She turned her whole body slowly, cautiously, to face her counterpart. An internal battle raged as he kept a straight face while looking at her. The tightened grip of his hand would’ve hurt an untrained person. Instead it was met with powerful resistance from Aisha and a playful smirk.
“Everything’s a competition with you, isn’t it?” Kargon asked with a laugh.
“Only when it comes to you,” Aisha answered and scooted closer.
“Don’t let it happen when you’re fighting the demon king. He’s much stronger than Elmud.”
“I know.” Aisha frowned. “Kargon, I don’t want to talk about the battle.”
Kargon exhaled slowly. “I know. Sorry.”
“Is it really so hard to talk about this? Is it just going to last as long as this quest?”
The pain in Aisha’s voice made it clear she wasn’t accusing her partner. Rather she was scared of losing him. Kargon felt guilty for putting her in such a position. Especially since he felt the same way. They both knew it and yet hesitated to express anything further.
“I’m bad at recognizing things about myself,” he said slowly. “Remember when we were kids and I said my only skill was understanding you? You were always so quiet back then.” Aisha nodded but remained silent as Kargon continued. “Even during your years training you took time to lecture me about what I can do. Hells, I needed Master Avant to walk me through my own thoughts to realize how I felt about everyone… About you. For a while I thought it was a happy accident as part of my training. But the more I think about it I realize that master knew I was unaware of my feelings.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. Even I needed Vofric to walk me through my feelings,” Aisha responded. She couldn’t meet Kargon’s eyes when she said, “I was going to avoid telling you until after our quest was over. Then you went ahead and blurted out that I was your ‘everything.’ How can you say that and not feel embarrassed?”
Kargon noted that the Hero described her quest as a shared experience. But he couldn’t think about it too much based on the other implication.
“You were going to make me wait and worry for over a year?!” he asked incredulously and sat up while still facing Aisha. “And what do you mean I should feel embarrassed? There’s people who’ve only heard of you that love you. All they know is stories about the chosen one. They see news about what you’ve done for the world. But they don’t know your training or hardships or everything you put into being the Hero. I bet half of them wouldn’t know what to feel after learning about your weird habits. Like how you can’t focus without kneading your horns. Or how you shock yourself in the morning to wake up.”
Aisha’s eyes went wide upon realizing anyone had noticed a habit she tried to keep hidden. At that moment Kargon knew he was no longer in control of his mouth. Clenched fists were all that gave him a semblance of composure; what little he had.
“I don’t feel embarrassed. I’d never feel embarrassed for knowing you. Or supporting you. Or feeling more strongly about you than anyone else!”
A smirk pulled at the corner of Aisha’s mouth as she also rose to her knees. The look quickened Kargon’s heartbeat but he didn’t dare turn away. Her eyes were deep pools of purple and blue that he happily drowned in. If not for Aisha’s words drawing his focus, he would have lost his composure completely.
She asked, “Are you saying you feel like me more than you like other people or that no one else likes me as much as you do?”
Kargon’s face went flush with color before he quickly covered it with his hands. A very deliberate turn and forceful plunge placed him back on the bed, facing towards the ceiling. Muffled groans pushed through his hands for a few seconds. He took a deep breath before shifting them; only enough to uncover his mouth.
“I’m saying I love you!” he exclaimed before forcing out an, “Idiot.”
As confident as Aisha was in her question, she instantly regretted it. Years of pushing Kargon had proven him to meet any task head-on. It should have been obvious that it would translate to her challenge of his feelings. Somewhere in the mix of embarrassment and competitiveness, an idea bloomed. There was no need to hide her face in her hands. Instead she plunged forward and headbutted Kargon’s chest. Reactively he moved his arms but was too slow to block. He let out a grunt of pain as Aisha’s horns got dangerously close to piercing through him. Upon realizing she was shaky, Kargon moved his arms to his sides and gave her room to calm her nerves.
“I-” Aisha stuttered.
“Feel the same way. I know,” Kargon said contently.
She shook her head and let out a long breath. The sensation of warmth brushing against Kargon was unfamiliar. Even more so in a situation like this. The chill that ran down his spine was almost painful.
In the softest voice she’d ever used, Aisha whispered. “I love you too.”
Kargon heard it clearly regardless of the commotion outside. Nothing short of a silencing spell would stop him from hearing the words. It put him in a brief daze, further enhanced as Aisha pushed his arm aside to lay her head on his chest. Both of them were acutely aware of each other’s heartbeats. They’d felt similar sensations in battle but this was stronger. Aisha softly placed her left hand on her counterpart’s chest, tracing her finger slowly against his muscular frame. For the first time Kargon noticed a few inches of difference in their height. For a brief moment, Aisha felt small. Like holding her too tightly could break her. In truth, anyone stupid enough to try would be the broken one. She’d been that way long before drawing Valefor.
“Do you remember when we met?” Kargon asked.
“Of course not,” Aisha answered. The question had been asked hundreds of times throughout their friendship. “Mom and Velana were pregnant at similar times. You’re only a couple months older than me so don’t give me that nonsense about you remembering.”
Kargon laughed at the suggestion he’d made in the past. Then he focused on calming himself. What he said next needed to be confident. Wavering now felt akin to his loss against Elmud.
“I don’t remember. We’ve been at each other’s sides as long as either of us can remember. Even when it wasn’t physically possible, we knew the other was by our side. My life is irrevocably intertwined with yours. There’s no future I can imagine without you. If that means we adventure, I’ll do it. If you decide to move back home, I’ll be there.”
Aisha interjected. “If I want to put Avant in a suit, will you help me?”
Kargon sighed then smiled. “I’ll try to convince him. Everyday for the rest of my life if that makes you happy.”
He could feel Aisha’s lips curl into a smile before she pushed herself up to look at him. Her feet pressed lightly against his ankles as she shimmied to get close. For some reason, Kargon could only think about how small a pillow was when two people tried to share one.
“Do you know what I’m thinking right now?” Aisha asked.
Kargon stared into her eyes and nodded. Confusion was clear on his face. “That I’m talking a lot?”
“Correct, as per usual.”
Kargon remained silent as Aisha slowly moved her hand to close his eyes. He didn’t think it was possible to get any closer as she leaned in. Their breath became one as their lips pressed against each other. Neither really knew what they were doing but it felt right. Aisha’s heart fluttered as something she’d waited for had finally come. Kargon was less eloquent with his thoughts. All he could remember were the words he’d always equated to his love. Firm. Soft.
Jamoraz inns weren’t as extravagant as any of the other ones that had been provided as a courtesy to the Hero’s party. The wooden ceiling was lower but it couldn’t be denied that they were pristine. The rug under the bed was nothing intricate but felt homey. Muted peach sheets covered the bed in place of silk. It all felt familiar yet long forgotten to Kargon. He paced around the room silently while thinking about what Vofric and Sariel mentioned. The idea of a future with Aisha made him more nervous than he expected. It was frustrating that he couldn’t identify why he felt overwhelmed. They’d been together all their lives. This shouldn’t be all that different.
The flood of thoughts distracted him from hearing the light knock on the door. Clicks sounded as it was unlocked and Aisha stepped inside. She locked the door behind her immediately then looked at Kargon. Both had trouble finding words that each needed to say. Neither would admit they were glad the other took this so seriously.
“I thought you were going to sleep on it,” Aisha said softly.
“I can’t. Lots on my mind,” Kargon replied.
“So the bed’s not occupied.”
It was said with relief. Aisha’s shaky legs carried her to the mattress and she plopped down. With a smooth motion she twisted to lay her head on the pillow. While stretched out, she stared at the mundane ceiling. With Kargon in the room it felt like a race to see who would be brave first. Silly pride was pushing Aisha to succeed.
“Can we talk?”
Kargon nodded. “Yeah.” He walked towards a nearby chair to grab it but hesitated. “Can we talk like before?”
Aisha could feel warmth in her cheeks when she replied softly, “Yeah.”
The man slowly approached the bed and laid next to his childhood friend. Both tried to give the other space and left a clear divide between them as they stared upwards. The longer they remained there, the calmer they felt. Eventually both could relax enough to loosen their muscles. Aisha intentionally reached her right hand towards Kargon and bumped his left. He slowly slid a finger under her palm to lift it before taking her hand in his.
They’d held hands plenty of times but it always surprised Kargon how firm yet soft Aisha’s were. Callussed and trained with dozens of scars yet they remained smooth. It was probably all in Kargon’s head but he couldn’t help but be enamored by it. Aisha’s entire being made him react that way. Looking at her now was easier but he’d made note of every feature as she entered their room. Clothes thrown into a casual outfit demanded his attention. The seemingly calm expression on Aisha’s face was nothing short of beautiful. If she didn’t dare to look toward Kargon, that was okay. Her piercing eyes would see right through him.
Aisha was fully aware that she was being admired. A redness overtook her face but she didn’t dare turn in fear that Kargon would look away. The roughness of his hands was different than before. Deep scars were scattered all over his body and could never be healed again. Yet he wore them with a smile that sent a shock through her heart. Fiery red hair was as ridiculous as all the Neves children always said. There was no denying it yet Aisha only remembered it as a feature of people she cared for. Seeing it whenever looking at Kargon made her feelings grow.
She turned her whole body slowly, cautiously, to face her counterpart. An internal battle raged as he kept a straight face while looking at her. The tightened grip of his hand would’ve hurt an untrained person. Instead it was met with powerful resistance from Aisha and a playful smirk.
“Everything’s a competition with you, isn’t it?” Kargon asked with a laugh.
“Only when it comes to you,” Aisha answered and scooted closer.
“Don’t let it happen when you’re fighting the demon king. He’s much stronger than Elmud.”
“I know.” Aisha frowned. “Kargon, I don’t want to talk about the battle.”
Kargon exhaled slowly. “I know. Sorry.”
“Is it really so hard to talk about this? Is it just going to last as long as this quest?”
The pain in Aisha’s voice made it clear she wasn’t accusing her partner. Rather she was scared of losing him. Kargon felt guilty for putting her in such a position. Especially since he felt the same way. They both knew it and yet hesitated to express anything further.
“I’m bad at recognizing things about myself,” he said slowly. “Remember when we were kids and I said my only skill was understanding you? You were always so quiet back then.” Aisha nodded but remained silent as Kargon continued. “Even during your years training you took time to lecture me about what I can do. Hells, I needed Master Avant to walk me through my own thoughts to realize how I felt about everyone… About you. For a while I thought it was a happy accident as part of my training. But the more I think about it I realize that master knew I was unaware of my feelings.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. Even I needed Vofric to walk me through my feelings,” Aisha responded. She couldn’t meet Kargon’s eyes when she said, “I was going to avoid telling you until after our quest was over. Then you went ahead and blurted out that I was your ‘everything.’ How can you say that and not feel embarrassed?”
Kargon noted that the Hero described her quest as a shared experience. But he couldn’t think about it too much based on the other implication.
“You were going to make me wait and worry for over a year?!” he asked incredulously and sat up while still facing Aisha. “And what do you mean I should feel embarrassed? There’s people who’ve only heard of you that love you. All they know is stories about the chosen one. They see news about what you’ve done for the world. But they don’t know your training or hardships or everything you put into being the Hero. I bet half of them wouldn’t know what to feel after learning about your weird habits. Like how you can’t focus without kneading your horns. Or how you shock yourself in the morning to wake up.”
Aisha’s eyes went wide upon realizing anyone had noticed a habit she tried to keep hidden. At that moment Kargon knew he was no longer in control of his mouth. Clenched fists were all that gave him a semblance of composure; what little he had.
“I don’t feel embarrassed. I’d never feel embarrassed for knowing you. Or supporting you. Or feeling more strongly about you than anyone else!”
A smirk pulled at the corner of Aisha’s mouth as she also rose to her knees. The look quickened Kargon’s heartbeat but he didn’t dare turn away. Her eyes were deep pools of purple and blue that he happily drowned in. If not for Aisha’s words drawing his focus, he would have lost his composure completely.
She asked, “Are you saying you feel like me more than you like other people or that no one else likes me as much as you do?”
Kargon’s face went flush with color before he quickly covered it with his hands. A very deliberate turn and forceful plunge placed him back on the bed, facing towards the ceiling. Muffled groans pushed through his hands for a few seconds. He took a deep breath before shifting them; only enough to uncover his mouth.
“I’m saying I love you!” he exclaimed before forcing out an, “Idiot.”
As confident as Aisha was in her question, she instantly regretted it. Years of pushing Kargon had proven him to meet any task head-on. It should have been obvious that it would translate to her challenge of his feelings. Somewhere in the mix of embarrassment and competitiveness, an idea bloomed. There was no need to hide her face in her hands. Instead she plunged forward and headbutted Kargon’s chest. Reactively he moved his arms but was too slow to block. He let out a grunt of pain as Aisha’s horns got dangerously close to piercing through him. Upon realizing she was shaky, Kargon moved his arms to his sides and gave her room to calm her nerves.
“I-” Aisha stuttered.
“Feel the same way. I know,” Kargon said contently.
She shook her head and let out a long breath. The sensation of warmth brushing against Kargon was unfamiliar. Even more so in a situation like this. The chill that ran down his spine was almost painful.
In the softest voice she’d ever used, Aisha whispered. “I love you too.”
Kargon heard it clearly regardless of the commotion outside. Nothing short of a silencing spell would stop him from hearing the words. It put him in a brief daze, further enhanced as Aisha pushed his arm aside to lay her head on his chest. Both of them were acutely aware of each other’s heartbeats. They’d felt similar sensations in battle but this was stronger. Aisha softly placed her left hand on her counterpart’s chest, tracing her finger slowly against his muscular frame. For the first time Kargon noticed a few inches of difference in their height. For a brief moment, Aisha felt small. Like holding her too tightly could break her. In truth, anyone stupid enough to try would be the broken one. She’d been that way long before drawing Valefor.
“Do you remember when we met?” Kargon asked.
“Of course not,” Aisha answered. The question had been asked hundreds of times throughout their friendship. “Mom and Velana were pregnant at similar times. You’re only a couple months older than me so don’t give me that nonsense about you remembering.”
Kargon laughed at the suggestion he’d made in the past. Then he focused on calming himself. What he said next needed to be confident. Wavering now felt akin to his loss against Elmud.
“I don’t remember. We’ve been at each other’s sides as long as either of us can remember. Even when it wasn’t physically possible, we knew the other was by our side. My life is irrevocably intertwined with yours. There’s no future I can imagine without you. If that means we adventure, I’ll do it. If you decide to move back home, I’ll be there.”
Aisha interjected. “If I want to put Avant in a suit, will you help me?”
Kargon sighed then smiled. “I’ll try to convince him. Everyday for the rest of my life if that makes you happy.”
He could feel Aisha’s lips curl into a smile before she pushed herself up to look at him. Her feet pressed lightly against his ankles as she shimmied to get close. For some reason, Kargon could only think about how small a pillow was when two people tried to share one.
“Do you know what I’m thinking right now?” Aisha asked.
Kargon stared into her eyes and nodded. Confusion was clear on his face. “That I’m talking a lot?”
“Correct, as per usual.”
Kargon remained silent as Aisha slowly moved her hand to close his eyes. He didn’t think it was possible to get any closer as she leaned in. Their breath became one as their lips pressed against each other. Neither really knew what they were doing but it felt right. Aisha’s heart fluttered as something she’d waited for had finally come. Kargon was less eloquent with his thoughts. All he could remember were the words he’d always equated to his love. Firm. Soft.
